Halvarsson, Tomas

Abstract [en]

Value Stream Mapping is a tool used in the management concept called Lean, which is a business strategy developed by the Japanese company Toyota. A Value Stream Mapping is performed to identify and visualize tasks that within a process create value or imply waste. The mapping is then used as a starting-point to make improvements from a holistic perspective. Since the mid-1990s lean has become increasingly common among organizations in the Western world and the trend has gone from being a strategy for the shop floor to leading administrative organizations as well. The view of ordinary tasks as well as projects as recurrent processes means that lean can be applied to most types of businesses. The department of Investments at Trafikverket in Luleå is exclusively project-oriented and manages the construction and re-enforcing of roads and railways. Trafikverket, established in 2010, has a need for greater efficiency and a clear interest in lean as a strategy for the future. This study describes the project process from a lean perspective, and can thus make a valuable contribution to the organization's future choices regarding business strategy. The purpose of this study is to identify value adding activities and waste in the feasibility study regarding re-enforcing of roads. Another purpose is to make suggestions about how to improve the flow of activities in the feasibility study.The thesis was conducted as a case study which was initiated by a literature review. Furthermore, a mapping of the feasibility study was conducted through a workshop, additional interviews as well as additional process mapping. The subsequent analysis was performed with the support of the theory from the literature study.The conclusions regarding applying Value Stream Mapping in project processes are that the tool gives a good overview of the value stream and identifies many of the problems that may exist at a higher level. It appeared that a project process which includes several external organizations requires considerable resources if the purpose would be to map the entire process for the re-enforcement of roads. Something that proved difficult was to define the concept of value considering that Trafikverket, as a public organization, has a diverse customer base with varying needs. The definition during this study was that value-adding activities help to reach the underlying purpose of the feasibility study - to receive an Environmental Impact Assessment from the County Administrative Board as well as providing access to the land which is required for the reinforcement work. Value-adding activities identified were the initial meeting, the consultant's preparation of the document for stakeholders and decision makers, the Environmental Impact Assessment and the final decision basis which is stated by the department superior to Investering which is the department of Society. Waste that was identified in the process of feasibility studies related to the review of the consultant's document for stakeholders and decision makers. Furthermore, waiting is a common form of waste, particularly regarding the County Administrative Board's assessment and the department of Society but also when cooperating with the department's internal environmental and procurement specialists. Other types of waste are vague directives regarding the feasibility study, unstructured delegation of tasks from project managers to specialists, lack of standardization regarding project management as well as the mental stress caused by the large amount of projects that each project manager owns.Recommendations for Trafikverket are to evaluate the total capacity of the organizationin in order to adapt the number of parallel projects. New tasks should be divided through formal structures to the specialists that at the moment hold capacity. Communication between the department of Investments and the department of Society should be improved by clearer directives and quicker decision-making.